Failure To Appear
by Karren
Summary: Stephanie is the FTA. Ranger and Joe work semi together to bring her in. Who will succeed? Will she be brought in?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything from Janet Evanovich. This was the second Story I ever wrote and just recently re found it. Hope you enjoy!!

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F.T.A that's what I was now. Who would have thought me Stephanie Plum was FTA. It wasn't my fault really; it was one of the many fugitives' faults that I'm after, Roy Minner. I was minding my own business; going to the 711 to buy you guessed it some Tastykakes. When Roy walked by and I spotted him. With bag filled with Kakes and candy bars I ran out the door and followed Minner,not hearing the store clerk screaming and chasing after me for a block or so. I was arrested and taken to Jail but everyone knew me since I'm a bounty hunter for Vinnie my cousin and Morelli one of Trenton's finest was my on and off again boyfriends. Morelli was called and now here I am free and spotting Minner once again.

My court date was for Jan 2nd at 2:00 pm. I was doing surveillance for Minner and was parked outside his home. He came in at 1:30pm and I went up to his door and knocked. He opened his door smiling and then saw it was me and quickly shut the door in my face only I had grown smarter and placed my booted foot in the door, a trick I had saw my mentor Ranger do when I was out with him on several stake outs.

"Uh uh Minner you missed your court date and I have to bring you in and with any luck you will be out in no time maybe even before Supper if you co operate" I told him

"F**k you" he said in my face

"No thanks, I don't need any" I told him which was a lie I wasn't involved with no one recently and I hadn't gotten any action in a long time.

After my mess up with 711 Morelli took such a ribbing on my misfortune that he hasn't been around much. He says I cause him heart burn, and Ranger well I don't wanna talk about him. He and I were working together with his RangeMan team and when the time came for the take down to be complete he never included me. I felt so cheated, I had gone with him on every interview of family, and friends and then to be left out of the action was just.. well not right. He tried to tell me it was because of my history of making things more difficult but I didn't and wasn't going to listen so I just walked away from him, slammed my door, and did what all girls do...Cry.

I had gotten really good at knowing and spotting Ranger around after that. I was mad and I was holding a grudge. It's only right for me to do and women do it so well, it's a talent so why not use it? Ranger was a man of mystery and so hot that you could fry an egg on him. Connie and Lula think it's insane I'm trying to stay away from him when most women wanted to GET to him. That's the same about Morelli too.

Oh Ranger has tried to "apologize" and "make up" to me but I'm stubborn and won't allow it. He's called several times and I've resisted every time to call him back. I saw him one day coming up to my passenger side door when I was at a dry cleaners and I pulled out of line and left him standing there. I know I'm going to pay dearly for this but I deserved to be on that bust too DAMMITT.

"So lock up your house and your car and let's go get re bonded" I said to Minner aware my time was ticking away

"EAT ME" he shouted and pushed me back and slammed the door in my face

I heard a bunch of sounds going on in the Minner home and looked in the front window next to the door. I saw him bring out a small duffel bag throw some clothes and shoes in it and zip it up.

"Shit" I said knowing what his next move was.

Running around the back door just in time to see Minner racing from the back door of his home and down the back alley. Of course I had to give chase.

"STOP MINNER" I yelled

He kept going faster and I'm not a runner, damn him. I searched all over that street and finally made it to my car and did a few side streets and back to his house. He was gone in the wind and I was over an hour late to my court date.

"SHIT SHIT SHIT" I screamed hitting my head against my steering wheel.

I took my cell out and called Joe knowing I was fixing to get my ass chewed for missing my court date and time, but I had to fix this and let him know it wasn't my entire fault.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Morelli screamed when he picked up the phone

"Hello to you too" I said smiling

"STEPHANIE THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER. YOU DIDNT APPEAR YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES YOU?" he asked

"No what" I asked rolling my eyes

"FAILURE TO F*****G APPEAR AND IM THE ONE WHO CO SIGNED YOUR BOND" he yelled at me

"So ill go talk to the court officer and explain I was chasing a suspect and reschedule" I told him

"NO, THE JUDGE IS PISSED EVERYONE ON HIS DOCET FOR TODAY DIDNT SHOW AND YOU WERE THE LAST ONE TO BE SEEN AND WHEN YOU DIDNT HE BLEW UP AND ISSUED A BENCH WARRENT ON YOU AND YOU ARE WANTED" Morelli told me

"Wanted?" I asked

"F*****G WANTED STEPHANIE, YOU ARE NOW THE ONE BEING HUNTED" he yelled

"Shit" I said "I was working, Roy Minner popped up and ran that was what I was doing was chasing his sorry ass down"

"WELL YOU WERE THE EASIST BOND TO BE SEEN TODAY, THATS WHY YOU WERE LAST CAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS YOU AND DIDNT THINK YOUD SCREW THIS UP" Morelli screamed

"No second chances?" I asked

"NO, JUDGE IS PISSED AND HE SAID NO BOND FOR PLUM" he yelled

"What is the sentence?" I asked him

"SIX MONTHS STEPHANIE!! SIX MONTHS BEHIND BARS" he screamed

"I can't go to jail Joe I have put half of them away that are sitting in there" I tell him near tears now also thinking of my family and of Rex my hamster

"Sorry cupcake but the Judge revoked every bond on every person he was to see today, so Vinnie will be flooded with a lot of FTA's and guess who will be on the front of the pile?" he said much more calmer and I knew what he was doing.. Talking me in.

"What did you put up for collateral?" I asked him

"My truck, since it was a very low bond for Tastykake theft" he said

"Joe" I said

"Yea?" he asked

"I'm sorry" and I hung up


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting there I gripped my steering wheel till my knuckles were white. I the hunter was now the hunted. I told myself I was a sitting duck sitting there in my car where everyone could see me. Morelli already knew I was FTA, but the rest wouldn't know till morning. I f I could stay clear from Joe id be flying.

I hurried and drove to my apartment where I packed up some essentials and then packed up Rex my hamster. I would take him to my parents so they could keep him till I could come back. I almost cried thinking of loosing Rex.

My phone rang but I wasn't going to answer it. I knew who was on the other line and I was right.

"Steph don't do what I think you're doing" Morelli said

"I know your leaving cupcake and that a big mistake" he said on my machine

"I can't go to jail" I said back to the machine

"Dammitt Stephanie" he said and hung up

I need to hurry. Joe will be coming over soon to catch me leaving and I can't afford that. I carried Rex and my bags down to my car. I sat him in the passenger's seat and tossed my bags in the back seats.

"It's only temporary" I told Rex

"I hope" I added

I pulled out and obeyed every traffic law Trenton New Jersey had. I was not going to be pulled over. Pulling up at my parent's house, it never failed that my mom and grandmother was already standing in the front door watching me. I hauled Rex out and walked up to the door.

"What's wrong?" My mother asked me

"Nothings wrong, I just need to you watch over Rex for a while" I told her

"Why?" she asked watching me sit him down on the table

"A job I'm on, I have to be away and leave town for a bit. I'll be back soon" I tell her

I hurried and left before I cried over loosing Rex, but it had to be done. My cell rang and it was Joe.

"Nope sorry Joe, you've heard the last of Stephanie Plum" I say as I drive away.

The next morning Connie opened up Vinnie's bail office. She grabbed the new FTA files that Vinnie had brought in when he got there and sat them on her desk. It was by mid morning before she started looking thru them when she covered her mouth with her hand and screamed.

"WHAT?" Vinnie asked running from his inner office

"Its Stephanie" she said just as Ranger and Joe walked in together

Connie hurried and slipped Stephanie's file under the rest of them so Ranger and Joe wouldn't see and prayed they hadn't heard her. Vinnie saw and was just about to say something when she looked over at him and gave him the death glare.

Ranger calmly walked over behind Connie's desk where she stood and took the last file from under the stack. Connie reaches for it but Ranger gave her a look and she quickly recoiled her hand back. She flopped into her chair and buried her face into her hands. Ranger read the file as everyone was in total silence. They knew Stephanie had a soft spot in Rangers heart.

"You know about this?" he asked Morelli

"Stephanie being FTA?" he asked

"Yea" Ranger said

"Yep. I'm the one who bonded her out. She failed to show at court yesterday afternoon. The judge's entire docket didn't show and by the time she was called he blew his stack and revoked everyone's bond and issued warrants. Steph was the last person on the list to be seen and would have just gotten a slap on the wrist since it was a mistake and her first offence. Everyone knows of Stephanie thru me there so that's why she was last." Joe explained

"Thousand dollar bond, what you got riding?" Ranger asked him

"My truck" Morelli said

"What's the time she looking at?" he asked

"Six months and she'll be with some of the ones she's captured and put in there" Joe said

Ranger closed the file, placed it under his arm.

"This is mine" he said walking towards the door

If you knew Ranger you'd know he only took the high payoff bonds not the measly hundred that was offered for Steph. Joe grabbed a hold of Rangers leather jacket arm. Ranger looked sideways to him

"I know you got this thing for Stephanie, but I'm working this with you and I don't care if you like it or not" Morelli said

"Ill keep you in the loop but I for the most part work alone" Ranger told him

As he again started for the door Connie's phone rang. She picked it up and said hello.

"Connie, it's me Stephanie" I said knowing Ranger and possibly Joe was or had been there.


	3. Chapter 3

Yes I know it was a huge risk to call the office and talk to Connie but I wanted to know my update. I had to know what I was dealing with. I knew Joe knew I was in the wind but was Ranger going to come at me full force? I wanted to say no he wouldn't but hell this was Ranger we are talking about. The same Ranger I slept with a while ago and we still have this sort of connection going, I knew he would hunt me but what I didn't know was if he found me what he would he do, turn me in or put me away till everything went away. Whatever it was I couldn't wait to find out.

Ranger turned and looked at Connie. Connie was not letting on that it was me on the phone. She smiled and whispered to them in the room it was her nail appointment. Vinnie sighed and went back to his office and Lula went back to her half assed filing. Connie sat in her desk chair and listened. I asked her if Joe had been there and she said yes 5pm was ok to move her appointment, with I took that the yes meant he had or was there at the time.

"Connie does Ranger know?" I asked her

Connie cut her eyes to Ranger who stood there still listening to her conversation. She knew he was good and would soon find out it was Stephanie she was talking too.

"Yes the Black does sound good too" she told me

Yes meant he knew and black was code she used for Ranger. I asked her if Ranger was upset and if he was going to hunt me and I heard her voice become short and quick.

"I change my mind Mable I HAVE BLACK HERE" she said

"He's there now" I said

"Yes" she said into the phone

"And he has my file, what did he say when he read it?" I asked

"Yes, it's MINE" she said mine with accent

"SHIT" I called out, I knew if I was going to be found it would be Ranger to do it

"Anything else?" I asked her

"Mable I think we can WORK TOGETHER in all this" she said to me

"Work together?" I said "What does that mean?"

"You know what Mable we are ITALIAN and we can work together with the BLACK" she said

"Oh your good, Joe and Ranger are tag teaming huh?" I asked

"Yes" she said

"Ok well ill try to call back sometime I don't know when" I told her

"Thank you Mable" she said

I heard someone come walking up to Connie and I listened for a moment before I hung up. I heard Connie say EXCUSE ME and then I heard him.

"Stephanie" Ranger said and I disconnected

What was that about Connie asked him. Ranger just looked at her and she looked back at him.

"That was Mable at the nail salon I have an appointment for my nails today" she told him

"You're not the only one who can talk and knows how to deciefer code" he told her

Connie never let on it was Stephanie who called. She just rolled her chair back up to the desk and looked thru all the other FTA's Ranger went out the door with Joe on his hills. He stopped and turned around and looked at him.

"You really think that was Steph on the phone?" he asked him

"Positive" he said going to his black truck

"I don't know it could be Mable from the salon" he told Ranger

"It was Stephanie and Connie was telling her that we both were there, and I knew about the FTA and was looking for her. She also told her we were working this together" Ranger told him

"You got that from Nail polish talk?" he asked

Ranger got into his truck and started it up. He gave a quick look over at Morelli and headed off back to Range man to look over Stephanie's file with a fine tooth comb. He called Hal and told him that a call came in to Vinnie's about 5 minutes ago and to get him all the reports of it and have it sent to him in his personal computer in his apartment. Hal said 10-4 to his boss and they ended their call.


	4. Chapter 4

I was driving around in the next city that was by Trenton, no one knew who I was here, no one ever saw Ranger I don't think, and Joe was a Trenton cop. As I was driving a thought occurred to me, Bugs!

I pulled over in a mall parking lot took my pocket book out and dumped it onto the hood of my car. I looked thru everything I owned and placed it back into the bag. I was left with an ink pen. I picked it up and looked it over it was a long sliver pen. I knew when I saw it what it was.

"Sorry Ranger, but this time I just cant afford you to find me" I said taking the pen apart and smashing the parts under my foot

"I looked at my car. It wasn't one of Rangers cars but he could have it bugged all the same. I used my cell phone and called an old friend and twenty minutes later I was off again.

"Soo what's going on?" Sally asked me

"You don't want to know. If I told you, you probably wouldn't want to help me" I told him

"Stephanie I'd help you, you know that right?" he asked me keeping his eyes on the rode in front of him

"Just get me to a motel and ill explain everything to you there" I told him laying my head back against the cars seat

I told Sally about everything that was going on and how now I was FTA. I told him how Ranger and Morelli were now working together to get me. Sally looked in shocked; he couldn't believe I was now the hunted.

"You have to keep me hidden" I told him

"I can do that" He said winking at me

Tank called Ranger who was on the rode. He told him he had lost the transmission of the bug that they had always had on me. Ranger told him to give him the last known and he was on his way there. Ranger drove to the location and found Stephanie's car sitting in the far mall parking lot. He peered inside and found her cell phone in her passenger's seat and the pen broken on the ground.

"Smart Babe" He said as she called Tank to have the car towed back to a RangeMan lot

Sally had an idea on how I could hide. He loaded me up in his car and we headed back to that mall I left my car at.

"OH SHIT" I said scanning the lot

"What?" Sally asked me

"My Cars gone" I told him looking thru the lot

"It was probably towed and is at the police lot" he said

"OH NO I know who has it and thank God I left my cell and broke that pen" I said

"Who has it?" Sally asked

"Ranger" I told him with no hesitation in my voice

"Ranger? Isn't he that big scary guy at your work?" Sally asked as we hurrying inside the mall

"Yep, that's him. He's the primo Numero Uno bounty hunter" I said as Sally took me into a wig shop

An hour later and I was a new woman. I had new hair, new clothes, and new shoes. New everything.

"Steph I think you probably could go back to the Burg and no one would know that this is actually you" Sally said looking me over

"I don't know if Ranger or Joe would be all that fooled" I told him

"Its worth a try, you didn't know that was Sugar that one time right?" he asked

"You got me there" I told him

"F*****G A" he said laughing

I had him stop so I could get me a new cell phone. One of those non traceable ones. I had watched enough cop shows to know they always say they couldn't trace the cell. I hopped back into Sally's car and placed the phone on the charger. When it had enough juice I called and had it activated.

"Ok I think I'm all set" I told him

"What about the motel? I guess if ranger found your car here he knows you're in the area somewhere" Sally said

"SHIT, good point" I said

I sat there and thought what to do and where to go. I thought since they knew I had ran they wouldn't be looking for me in the Burg. I picked up my cell and dialed someone I didn't think Ranger or Joe would think of.

"Dude?" came the answer on the other end of the phone.


	5. Chapter 5

Sally drove me over to Mooners house and I was dressed out in full disguise. Sally kept telling me I would certainly fool Ranger and Joe if they happened to see me in a store or restaurant. I wasn't so sure, not with Ranger on my tail. We parked at the curb and walked up to Mooner's door and knocked, when he opened I could tell he didn't recognize me.

"Can I help you Dudette" he said obviously stoned

"Mooner it's me Stephanie" I told him

He looked at me and then came closer and looked at me some more. He finally I think saw me for me and let us inside. I came in to his house and saw he was eating cereal and watching cartoons.

"Scooby doo?" I asked

"Yea dudette that's one serious smart dog" he said

"Yea?" I asked

"Yea dude he can talk and solve mysteries" mooner said flopping back on the couch

"I need to crash here for awhile will that be ok?" I asked him

"Sure me casa su casa" he said with his attention back on TV

"You know he said that wrong don't you?" Sally asked

"Umm yea Moons a little eccentric" I told him

"More like a little high" he told me

"That too" I said

"You'll be ok here then?" Sally asked me

"Yea mooner is harmless" I said as Sally went out the door and left.

I went back and sat down with mooner and watched TV with him. After they ended I told him what was going on with me and why I had to hide out.

"Whoa that's harsh Steph" he said

"Yea I know, I have to hide away from all my friends and relatives and wear this fake wig and different clothes" I told him

I told him if he happened to be out somewhere and saw a cop, Joe, or even Ranger do not tell them I was staying in his house with him. He promised he wouldn't but I still feared that he really didn't know what I was saying since he was high. I made it into the kitchen and looked thru his fridge and found some cheese puffs and decided that would be my breakfast. I tried not to cry thinking how I couldn't just go get a doughnut or coffee.

"You remember that star trek thing I had here a long time ago?" he asked me

"Yes" I said remembering the food fight that ensued there

"Well me and Dougie now buy them cheese puffs all the time now, it's like Dude we can't get enough of them" he told me

"Cool" I said eating till I was full.

I thought of Rex when a dog commercial came on and wondered how he was doing and wandered if maybe I could go over to my parents house or if should. I thought against it because knowing Ranger he had everyone I knew good and staked out.

"Where is Dougie?" I asked Mooner

"He's working, should be home soon though, he works that grave yard shift at cleaning the hospital" he told me

"That sounds like a good job" I tell him

"Yea he talks to them old people in them rooms" mooner laughed

"Nice" I say

Me and mooner went back and started flipping the channels on the TV. There were only morning talk shows on and we sat back and made fun of the ones on Jerry Springer and then watched the Maury show. Dougie walked in looked at me and told Mooner he was sorry for interrupting. Mooner told him no that I was Stephanie the bounty hunter and Dougie rubbed his eyes and looked at me

"Stephanie?" he asked


	6. Chapter 6

I Stephanie Plum am right now taking a huge risk. I have stayed with Mooner and Dougie for a few days now and I need to just get out and be away from the time warp machine. Don't get me wrong I love Mooner and Dougie but there is only so much I can take. So here I am driving thru the burg in Moons car jamming to GodSmack on the radio. I wasn't all that confident but I was in my wig and new clothes so I tried to go out and get some doughnuts. I passed my parents house and saw my mom's car in the driveway. I figured Grandma would be going to a viewing soon and dinner would be at 6 on the dot.

Pulling into the tasty pastry bakery I got out and kept my head down. I walked in and ordered a dozen of my fave Boston creams. The woman that usually works there looked like she knew me but then it vanished. I got my doughnuts and was walking to the door to go out. A man came in and bumped in to me.

"Oh sorry miss" He said and I knew right away it was Joe Morelli

I shook my head and hurried out to the car. I saw him turn and take a look at me but I hurried and buried my head so he couldn't see that well.

"SHIT" I said looking up and watching him

I saw the woman point to me and say something to Joe who turned and came out and was walking towards me. I wanted to start the car and get it going out of the small lot before he got to me but that didn't happen on account my hands were shaking like leaves on a tree. I heard a knock on my door and looked up to Joe.

"Yes?" I asked trying to disguise my voice

"You left your change" he said giving it to me thru the half opened window

"Oh, uhh thank you" I said

"Do I know you?" he asked studying me

"No I just recently moved here" I told him" I'm sorry to be rude but I really must go now"

"Ok, see you around" he said going back in the bakery

I peeled out of that lot like my ass was on fire. I finally came to a stop on the side of the highway and let out a huge breath I had been holding. I got the box and ate three Boston's just to get my nerves settled.

"Oh my God I can't believe that worked" I said to myself

"Now to get by Ranger, but I'm not going to go looking for him" I said pulling away from the side of the road and heading back to Mooners.

As I got in his drive way I got my cell out and called Sally Sweet. He picked up on the third ring.

"Sal you're a friken genius" I told him and then proceeded to tell him about meeting Joe.


	7. Chapter 7

Ranger broke into Stephanie's apartment where he stopped and looked around. He looked on the kitchen counter expecting to see Stephs hamster but there was no Rex. He walked around and stopped when he got into the doorway of her bedroom.

(Rangers POV)

I stand there looking in her bedroom and I get a flashback of the night we were together. I had gotten her so worked up and then dragged her in there. I love being with her and now she had vanished and I have to hunt her down like one of our criminals. I stand there and see me and her lying in bed and I'm thrusting into her and she is moaning out in the pleasure that I'm causing her.

I look around and see a pair of underwear on her bed. I cross the room and sit on her bed and hold them in my hand. I look around and blow out a deep breath. I'm always stoic and don't show my emotions but this is getting to me. My job is to bring them back for Jail but with Steph I'm having an inner war. I want to find her but I also want to just stow her away in the bat cave.

I laughed when I thought about Stephanie calling my place the bat cave and how I was batman. We have had the best of times and we had some pretty bad times. She's always there when I need her and she was there when I wanted her. Hell who am I kidding I still want her.

(End of POV)

Ranger got up and went back thru the apartment and turned one more time to see that she wasn't there. He sighed and walked down the hall to the elevator. When the elevator opened a blond woman was standing there.

"Sorry Mam" he said seeing the woman jump as he got on the elevator

"No problem I just didn't expect you would be there is all" I tell him using the same fake voice that had worked with Joe earlier

I was shaking in my shoes. I was riding the elevator with the dark one himself. Did he know it was me? I don't know he never said. I acted like I was going down like he was so he wouldn't think anything. I stood with my face to the side so he couldn't get a good look. I felt his body heat and it was the all too familiar sense wash over me. When the car dinged I got off and walked slowly to the door, I heard him behind me as he walked out with me.

"Have a nice day" he said to me as he walked out

"You to" I said as I watched him go over to a black BMW, get in, and drive away

"WHEWWWW that was a close one as I went back up and went to my apartment. I got off on the second floor but then I suddenly stopped. They got my apartment under surveillance.

"DAMN" I say as I get back on the Elevator and ride it all the way back to the ground and get out.

I got into my car and cried. I want my life back.


	8. Chapter 8

I wanted to see my family. Believe it or not I missed them and I missed Rex. I drove from my apartment building over to my parent's street and parked across the road from their house. Usually Grandma and mom would be waiting on me but this time they weren't. I sat there watching when a familiar truck came to a stop on the other side of the road. I shot down in my seat and waited a few minutes till I felt the coast was clear. Sitting back up I watched as Joe Morelli walked up to my parent's front door.

"Is Steph home?" he asked my mother

"No Joseph she isn't here" she told him "wanna come in for some cookies I just got them out of the oven"

"Well how can I turn down some homemade cookies" he said as he went in behind my mother

"Shit" I thought to myself I need to go and see if I can hear what's going on.

I got out of the car and crept to the back. My mother had the small kitchen window open and I could see them in the kitchen eating cookies. Morelli turned and I could see he looked a lot older than he had the last time I saw him. I must be getting him down.

"Joseph I've been trying to call Stephanie for a day or so and I get nothing but her voice mail" my mother told him

"Yes I get the same Mrs. Plum" he said to my mom

Morelli took another cookie from the cookie sheet on the stove and ate it.

"Is that steph's Hamster?" he asked

"Yes she brought him over two days ago and asked us to watch him for a while" my mother said

"Awww Rex" I thought and felt a lump rising in my throat "I missed him so much. I felt like I had abandoned my child"

I watched as my mother came out with a large glass of cold milk and poured Morelli one and went back to the refrigerator. She passed by the kitchen and I saw her look right at me. She shrieked and dropped the thing of milk. I heard Joe run to her side and ask her what was wrong.

"There was a blond woman looking in the window there" She pointed to the small window above the sink

I had made it back to my car when I saw and heard Morelli come running out of the house and run around the back and then I just quietly started my car like I was just coming out of another house and pulled away. When I made it half way away I saw Joe come around and look right at me and then go back into the house.

"SHIT THAT WAS CLOSE" I yelled into the car

Morelli came back inside and told Mrs. Plum that all that was there now was a pair of footprints that had been left in the mud. She wondered and asked if maybe it was someone after Stephanie and that's why she left like she did. Morelli looked at my mom and asked her to come and tell him everything Stephanie told her when she left. Mrs. Plum sat down in a chair at the dining room and told him that Steph came in and handed Rex over and told them all that she had to go away for a while that it was a big case she was working on. She asked Joe was it with that Cuban man Ranger. Joe didn't want to alarm her so he told her he didn't know and that he had to go back to the station now. He got up and went to the door.

"Mrs. Plum if Stephanie contacts you would you please have her to call me and then you call and let me know if she can't" he asked

"Sure Joseph" she said to him

"Joseph" Mrs. Plum called to him before he went out

"Yes?" he asked

"Its weird but the blond in the window kind of looked like Stephanie in the face" she said having this fleeting wishful look on her face


	9. Chapter 9

Ranger had come into the bonds office to collect what was owed to him for bringing in an FTA. He was standing there as Connie wrote out the check to him and handed it to him. Her phone rang and she answered it.

"Vincent Plum Bail Bonds" she said

"Hey Lula" She said to me

Connie knew Lula was out of town this week so she used her as a disguise to speak with me. I knew then someone was there and I knew it was Ranger.

"How's everything?" She asked me

"Not good I ran in to Joe today and freaked my mom out" I told her

"Uh huh" she said

"Is someone there?" I asked her

"Yea it's all good here just me and Ranger" she said

"Ahh has he said anything about me at all?" I asked wondering if he had a lead on me that I should know about

"No Stephanie, Sorry Lula" she told me letting on like Lula had asked if I had came back

"Well that's good at least" I told her

"Steph I know it's you cut this bull shit and come in" Ranger said on the phone to me

I hurried and disconnected. I didn't expect him to get on the phone and speak to me. What was I doing I was being so careless. First I let my mom see me and then Joe almost caught me in the process now Ranger knew I was calling into the office and talking to Connie. I need to get out of here and fast. I turned Moon's car on and headed back to his house. By the time I got there I was near tears. I walked quickly to his door and knocked. He came and let me in and saw me about to cry.

"Dude you crying?" he asked me

"Yea I've had a bad day I'm going to shower and lay down for awhile" I told him

In the shower I bawled like a baby. I wanted to be free and go home and get Rex. I wanted to walk in the bonds office and work and not worry about going to jail. I missed Joe and I even missed flirting with Ranger. I got out slipped on some clothes and laid down in the guest room that was now my home.

Across town Joe walked into the bail bonds office to see Ranger slam down the phone and give Connie a death glare.

"If she EVER calls back I wanna be the first to know, you got that?" he said

"Got it" she replyed

"What's going on?" Joe asked

"Steph called in and spoke to Connie." Ranger told him

"I think she is in the area" Joe told him

Ranger looked up to him and asked him to elaborate

"I was over at her mother's poking around having cookies trying to see if Mrs. Plum knew anything. She told me Steph gave her Rex to take care of and told her she was going out of town awhile on a big case and not to worry. As I was eating cookies Mrs. Plum screamed that a woman was peering into her window and so I ran out to find her. There wasn't anything there except two feetprints in the mud under the kitchen window. When everything got back to normal, Mrs. Plum said the blond woman looked like Steph in the face" Joe told Ranger and something sparked in Rangers mind

Ranger looked around and walked out the door and got in his truck. He called in to RangeMan and asked that the tapes of the Plum residence from today be set up for him by the time he got there, and he disconnected from them. Joe turned to Connie and shrugged his shoulders to her and left. Ranger man of mystery was on the hunt.


	10. Chapter 10

Ranger made it into RangeMan five minutes after he called Tank to get the info on the Plum house. He walked into the control room and pulled up the video he needed. He watched it for several minutes until he saw what he was looking for. A woman got out of a car that was sitting on the other side of the street. He watched as she crossed the street and walked around the back of the house. A few minutes passed and then he watched as the same woman came running around the house and jogged back to her car. Ranger watched as Joe came out and ran to the back of the house.

"There was your mistake Joe, you didn't look at the woman in the car" he said

Ranger rewound the tape and watched for a good look of the woman's face. He stopped it and studied the face.

"What do you see in this picture?" he asked the men in the room

They all came over and gathered around the monitor that Ranger was sitting at. They all looked and said the same thing it was a blond lady. Ranger pulled up a picture of Stephanie placed it side by side on the monitor with the blond woman. He typed in something and the computer beeped and said across the screen MATCH FOUND.

"Steph" Ranger said as his heart jumped a little

Another thought came to Ranger and he sat back and recalled the pictures in the reassess of his mind. He sat back up and looked at the woman in the blond wig. He smiled as it came to him.

"That was you babe" he said thinking of the woman in the elevator the other day when he came to her apartment "Id been so distracted with you on my mind I didn't even know you were right there next to me"

Joe made his way over to the court house. He went up to the third floor and spoke to a clerk in the window. He smiled as he sat down on a bench in front of the courtroom door. When it finally opened a bailiff motioned him in. Joe jumped up and walked in. The judge was signing off on the last case he heard that day.

"Officer Morelli, you wanted to speak to me?" he asked him

"Yes your honor" he said

"My chambers please" He said walking out the side door of the courtroom

Morelli followed and sat down in the seat and waited as the Judge took off his robe. He sat down, leaned back, and placed his hands over his round belly.

"So what can I do for you?" he asked him

"It's about Miss Plum sir" he said

"Officer Morelli I'll tell you what. I was angry that all the people on my docket didn't show and I took it out on everyone. I'm willing to give Miss Plum a second chance but she will have to come to me in a private session and ill drop the charges against her. "He told Joe

"Thank you your Honor" Joe said getting up and shaking his hand

"I can't really let Miss Plum go to jail. She has put a lot of the scumbags there and they would eat her alive" The Judge told Joe

"Yes sir" he said and then left him

Joe got in his SUV and drove over to the bonds office in hopes to find Ranger there. When he walked in Connie sat behind her desk and looked up at him and grimaced.

"It's nice to see you too Connie" he said

"She hasn't called" Connie told him

"That's ok, I've really came to see if Ranger was here I have some news he'd like to know" he told her

"Haven't seen him since you all left earlier" she told him

"Call him" he said leaning his hands on her desk and using his Cop powers on her

Twenty minutes later Connie and Joe both watched as a new Black BMW slid to a stop in front of the bonds office. Ranger swaggered in and stood in the door. He looked at Joe and then at Connie.

"What's up?" her asked no one in particular

"Ask him. He called this meeting" Connie told him

Joe stood up and looked at Ranger and told him he went and talked to the Judge who revoked Stephs bail. Ranger tilted his head and listened to him intently.

"The judge is willing to drop all charges against her but" Joe said

"What's the but?" Ranger asked

"She has to appear in front of him in a private session or it's a no go" Morelli said

"Well find her and tell her" Connie said "your the primo bad ass bounty hunter and your the hot bad ass cop, surely you can find Stephanie and get the charges dropped"

"How long we got?" he asked Joe

"End of the week" Joe said

"Meet me at Jims at 5pm" Ranger said and he walked out and peeled off the curb

Morelli looked over at Connie and told her if Stephanie calls in at all to tell her about the deal. Connie told him she would but doubted she would call since Ranger spooked her the last time. Morelli smiled and walked out of the office to his own truck and sped off


	11. Chapter 11

I woke up today with a headache and stomach cramps. It took me a moment to realize what was wrong. When I did realize it, I sat straight up in bed and prayed to God it wasn't what I thought it was. I got out of bed and ran to the bathroom afraid what I was going to find. I looked down and sure enough there was a bright red stain in my underwear.

"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT" I said panicking

"Hey dude everything ok in there?" Moon asked me

"Umm yea" I told him

I pulled my pants back up and raced back to the room I was staying in. I grabbed some thick black sweats I had and new underwear. I prowled around in Mooner's medicine cabinet praying out of everything they had at one point they'd had a box of tampons. I really couldn't afford going out since I was most certainly made by Joe and Ranger had seen me too. Not finding any Female products I ran to check the down stairs bathroom as well and all the cupboards. Hey you never know and this is a desperate time and you'll look anywhere and everywhere. I still found nothing. Going back to the bathroom I used I knew I had to make a store run, but what to do between now, the store, and back here again?

"Think Stephanie" I told myself but nothing was coming to mind

I sat on the toilet and thought. I looked over at the toilet paper and had an idea form in my mind. I could take a bunch of Tissue paper wad it up like a pad and place it in my panties just so I can go to the store for tampons. I had my hand on the roll as I just happened to look up and saw wash clothes. EVEN BETTER.

I took the thickest one I could find, tossed my old clothes off, and made a make shift maxi pad out of it.

"If your mom only knew" I said to myself

I cringed at the thought, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. I pulled on the underwear and then the sweat pants. I pulled on a black t-shirt and immediately thought of Ranger and his band of Merry Men. I tossed on some shoes and my blond wig and hurried out the door to the car I was driving from Mooner. Pulling out I checked for a tail and saw nothing so I preceded to the store a few streets over. I walked in and went straight to the tampons and got me some chocolate too. I was at the cash register and saw someone come in and I began to feel my heart start to beat 50000 miles a minute.

He was tall, overly muscular, and all dressed in Black,I just knew he was one of Rangers men. I was trapped and was praying to God he wouldn't see me. I was the fourth in line at the checkout and then two more people came and boxed me in so I couldn't run out of there and I REALLY needed the tampons. He walked away from me and went to the produce isle and disappeared. Whew! he was only shopping.

The clerk finally got to me and told me my purchases cost $10.50. I paid her in cash as was leaving. I was trying to open my candy bar when I dropped it. I knelt down to pick it up when I came back up I was face to face with Hal, the overly muscular man in Black.

"Oh I'm sorry excuse me" I said in my fake voice, hoping my disguise worked and I was just some blond dropping something and then accidently bumping in to a man. It had worked on Joe and on Ranger when they first saw me.

Hal moved past so I could move and then I felt something on my hand. I looked down and a silver bracelet was clasped securely on my wrist. Looking up I saw Hal looking at me.

"Sorry Stephanie" he said as he went to put the other one on my other hand

"NO NO NO. YOU CAN'T DO THIS, NOT NOW PLEASE NOT NOW" I started yelling

"I have my orders to bring you in" Hal said

"NOOO IM NOT GOING IN, I CANT" I cried and then I felt it

"ZAPPPPPPP" The F****r stunned me


	12. Chapter 12

I woke up and everything was black. My ears were ringing and my mind was fuzzy. I knew this feeling all too well. I had been stunned gunned so many times it almost didn't have an effect on me much anymore. I finally opened my eyes and squinted. I wasn't in a jail cell or sitting on a bench inside the police station, I was somewhere familiar though but I couldn't think where at the moment. I shook my head trying to get the cob webs to go away but wasn't having much luck.

Finally my ears started working again and my eyes were focusing. I looked around and immediately my heart sank I knew where I was and it was'nt. RangeMan. I looked and saw I was lying on the bed. I moved to sit up a little and saw him. I lay back down and placed my hands over my eyes.

"NO, NO , NO , NO" I said

"Babe" was all he said

I then realized I wasn't chained up, or cuffed, I was totally free. I sat up and swung my feet over the side of his bed.

"Ok you caught me" I said

"Yes" he said

I was defeated nothing I can do now. I was caught and Ranger the super hunter had did his job and got his prey.

"Fine go ahead and turn me over and collect the measly amount of money you'll get for me" I told him

"I didn't capture you for the money" he said

"Then what?" I asked

"Well I think first you should use the bathroom" he said looking at me

"I don't have to use the bathroom" I told him "just take me to jail or turn me over to Morelli"

"Steph we caught you in the grocery store and you bought something remember?" he asked me

"SHIT" I yelled then thinking about why I had gone out in the first place and remembering the washcloth

"Did you search me?" I asked fear and embarrassment coming in thinking he knew what I had done with the cloth

"No" he said

"Ok" I said standing looking around "wheres?"

"In the bathroom waiting" he told me

"Aren't you scared ill run?" I asked

"You can run Steph but think where you're at" he said grinning

"Asshole" I said remembering I was in RangeMan

I went into the bathroom and the box of tampons was sitting on the sink counter like Ranger said waiting on me. I pulled my pants and underwear down and took the washcloth off and examined my underwear, nothing was on them. I opened the box and took one out and unwrapped the tampon and inserted it. For what it's worth I felt soo much better. I sat there and cursed Mother Nature for causing me to be apprehended. I sighed and took the garbage bag in the small waste can and bagged the wash cloth up and tied it up. I came back out and tossed the small bag into the bigger bag in the bedroom trashcan. Ranger studied me and watched every move I made.

"Don't ask. Desperate times called for desperate measures" I told him and saw him quirk an eyebrow

I sat back down with a thud on his bed and hung my head. I heard him finally moved and saw him come to stand in front of me. He reaches out his hand and touched the blond wig I had on.

"Not you Babe" he said as he slid it off and tossed it back on his bed

Ranger ran his hands to my pony tail and released my wayward hair. As it came around to frame my face he smiled. He ran his hand down that was in my hair and cupped my chin. He bent at the waist and softly kissed me. Even thought I was a wanted fugitive kissing Ranger made it seem worthwhile. He deepens the kiss and his tongue touched mine. When he pulled back he looked at me.

"Been too long" he told me

"All right you gonna tell me how you got me?" I asked


	13. Chapter 13

Ranger looked at me and smiled his large full facial smile, the one you don't see very often. He sat me down in his chair and sat on the beds end where I had been.

"Joe came to me and told me that there was a person looking into the Plum family residence, he told me your mom said the woman kind of looked like you" Ranger said

I remembered the day quiet well, it was just yesterday in fact that Joe almost caught me at mom's window.

"So we ran the pictures thru the database here at RangeMan and I knew I had seen you before somewhere" he said to me

"My place in the elevator and going to the parking lot" I told him

"Yes that's it" he said looking at me

"I placed you side by side and did a facial id program and it came back a positive match" Ranger said

"Ok so how did you catch me then?" I asked curious

"Well we knew you were still here in the area so we just had to watch for you. Hal was coming to RangeMan from another call when he saw you walk in to the store" he said

"SO how many RangeMen came running to the store to watch me buy tampons?" I asked

"Umm 4" he said "Me, Hal, Tank, and Lester"

"Why didn't you take me down?" I asked curious

"You were on the lookout for me and for Morelli" He said

This was true I was looking in everything and everywhere for Ranger and Joe to pop up

"So you got me, now what are you going to do with me?" I asked him

"You got to be seen Babe" he said

"NO I'm not going to Jail Ranger, ill mace you and leave if I have too" I told him

"You won't" he said coming off the bed and coming to me. He knelt down and looked me in the eyes.

"You won't" he said again

It then hit me what I had to do. I came to him and placed my lips on his and massaged his lips with mine. He wouldn't do anything at first. He once told me he had the power of muscle but I had the real power over him. Ranger opened his mouth and soon we were kissing pretty hot and heavy. I somehow wound up with myself being carried to the bed and Ranger coming over me. I had to keep telling myself this was all my part of the plan but he was making it so hard.

Ranger ran his hand up my leg that was around him as he settled himself in-between my them. He was making this more difficult than I thought It would be. I felt his hand then go to my breast and stop there. He was copping a good feel and I knew it. I wanted to turn him on and then bolt and leave him in his painful state. He brought my hands up above my head and kissed me hard then I heard the click click of something familiar. I looked up just to see him snap the second cuff onto my wrist.

"You shit head" I said to him

"Babe I knew what you're up too" he said

"How? Cant a woman turn you on?" I asked

"There's only one I'd like to turn me on and right now she is wanted and I must take her in" he tells me

"Don't think you'll be turned on for a long time Batman" I tell him as he stands me up


	14. Chapter 14

Ranger led me down the hall to the elevator. We stood there as the car was climbing up each floor. I could feel his eyes on me and I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of talking to him. No he was going to have to live with the fact that he was the one taking me down and taking me in. I can't believe he was actually doing it. I had put my trust into him so many times. Ranger was always thought to not follow the rules very closely there was always a grey area that he worked in. So why couldn't I be the grey area? As if he heard my question he spoke.

"It's my job babe, you understand" he said

Ranger led a silent me into the elevator car and pushed G for garage. At least he wasn't going to parade me in front of the men. I guess this is how my skips feel when it's me tracking them and putting cuffs on them. I wish there was some way out of this but with Ranger watching over me and me being in cuffs there was no way I could exit without being caught. The doors opened and some RangeMen were in the garage. So much for not being paraded around.

"Steph, I'm sorry" Hal said as he came up to me

I just looked away. I felt like I wanted to cry but that was another thing I wasn't going to let them see and that was for me to cry. I'm going to be strong and be taken in.

"Was it done?" Ranger asked Tank

"Yes it was done" he said looking at me. You could see a pained look in his eyes

"Good" I thought, they need to feel bad. I was their friend, I treated them like they were my brothers and this is how they repay me?

I know one thing, if I get out of this I will never come around RangeMan again, and Ranger can kiss my ass I'm gone. I stopped, held my head up high, and looked straight ahead. I was not going to let them see me defeated. Ranger's men all watched as Ranger placed me up into one of his black SUV's and then walked over to the driver's side and got in. I looked straight ahead out the window never once looking at him.

We pulled out of RangeMan and onto the street. Ranger made the ten minute drive to the cop shop. I got to thinking how I would be cuffed to the wooden bench that I took my captures in and cuffed them too as I waited for my body receipt. Now Ranger would receive his reward for not a rapist, or a drug smuggler, but for ME. I so wanted to scream and cry how could you but nope I'm not going too.

Ranger parked at the door where I usually park to turn over my captures. He came over and opened my door and hauled me out. This is it, I think, I'm going to die now. Once I'm in that jail you can kiss my ass goodbye. I have put a lot of criminals behind those bars and there are some in there that would love to take a shot of Stephanie Plum the fallen Bounty Hunter. My legs turned to jelly as I thought about that and I felt Ranger pull me along. The officer opened the door and looked down on me and I knew he knew me, they all did.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Stephanie Plum was the hunted" He said as Ranger cuffed me to that damned wooden bench

"The file" Ranger said to him as he handed it over

"Ok, here you go. Here's your 100 dollars finder's fee receipt" the cop said

My head snapped up when I heard this. Ranger hunted me and brought me in for a lousy 100 bucks?

"YOU ASSHOLE" I screamed at him tugging on my cuffs

Ranger turned to look at me when I screamed at him. He placed the receipt in his pocket and came over and leveled his face to mine.

"Calm down Babe or they might stun you" he said

"If I ever get out of this you're going to pay" I said thru gritted teeth

A female cop came and took me from the bench. She handed Ranger his cuffs back and took me thru the doors. My heart was beating thru my chest as she took me down the hall past the jail and to the elevator.

"Where am I going?" I squeaked

"They want to see you upstairs" she said

The elevator chimed and I saw Morelli standing on the far wall. He had his arms across his chest just looking at me. Great I thought as the female cop took me out of the elevator.

"Cupcake" he said to me as he came over

I just looked at him and never said a word. Last I spoke to him he was yelling and telling me not to run and I didn't listen. He also was my co signer and I had almost cost him his truck. Joe kissed me on the forehead and then I was taken away.


	15. Chapter 15

Joe was standing out in the courthouse hallway with his hands in his jeans pockets looking at the door that the officer had taken Stephanie thru. He felt he was no longer alone and looked over to his side to see Ranger standing there with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"How do you do that?" Morelli ask him

"What?" Ranger smirked knowing Joe had no idea he was there

Joe and Ranger stood there and waited around for a while. Both men were torn inside. They knew Steph was getting off but they both loved her and it was hurting them that she was brought in.

"How did you do it?" Joe asked him

"Do what?" he asked

"You know find her, bring her in" he said

"Actually pure luck" Ranger told him

Joe quirked his eyebrow up in question to Ranger.

"We made Steph and her disguise. We had her moms house surveillance and when you said the woman in the window looked like Stephanie I brought up the feed and compared the photo's, it was a match to Steph. It was also the woman I saw when I went to her apartment to try to get a lead on her. One of my men was coming back to RangeMan when he looked over while he was at a red light and saw the woman we were looking for run into the store. He called me and we all assembled in. I sent my guy in and Steph was at the check out counter. As she was leaving my guy blocked her and she in disguise said "Oh Sorry" and tried to move away. He took her and had to stun her to get her out" Ranger told him

"You stun gunned Stephanie?" Morelli asked his voice beginning to squeak

"Had too, she was getting hysterical" He told him

"So how did you manage to bring her here?" Joe asked

"Sorry that is classified Information" Ranger told him

Morelli did some head shaking and sighing. He had an idea how Ranger got Stephanie to come in but he wasn't going to dwell on it, he had other things to worry about, like the woman in that other room.

Stephanie was taken to a room off the side of the courtroom. The officer left the cuffs on her but stepped out of the room. Steph now was alone with her thoughts. He mind went to her family and how they would feel when they found out what had happed to her. Then she thought of Rex and a pain shot thru her heart.

"He's gonna be with out me, he wont know what has happened to his mom" she thought

Steph began to cry at the thought of Rex being homeless, even though he was at her moms, but that wasn't his home. His home was with her in her apartment.

"Aww my stupid crummy apartment" she thought and cried some more.

Stephanie wiped the tears away when the door opened. She watched as a judge walked in and sat behind his desk.

"Miss Plum I presume?" he asked

"Yes sir" she said so small and defeated

"I see here you were involved with theft at a store" he said

"Yes sir I was buying stuff at the check out counter when one of my skips went by so I ran out the store and forgot to pay. I was running after my guy to bring him back to jail" she told him

"Officer Joe Morelli bonded you out of jail?" he asked

"Yes Sir" she told him

"You had a court date last week" he said

"Yes I know. I work for my cousin Vinnie and I was after another skip when he showed up finally at his house. I went to make the arrest but he ran. I had all the time to take him down but he kept running and running. By the time I got back in my car and Joe called and began yelling at me that I was now FTA myself" She said trying not to cry

"Miss Plum what you've done is very serious. You understand that right?" He asked her

"Yes I do" she said bowing her head

"Miss Plum the reason I had you last on my docket was because I knew you and I know officer Morelli. I know you both work for the law just on different levels. You have brought in a lot of the creeps out there and I knew you'd would just pay the money and be set free. When you didn't show I was already very angry. NONE of the other cases showed, every last one of them missed their court dates, so I casted a wide net and told that everyone be revoked and that was that." he told her

"Sir I'm sorry, I'm always bumbling and fumbling thru life and work. I had every intention of coming to court. I give that speech a million times so I knew" She told him

"I know you do Miss Plum and also know both times you've gotten in trouble you were after a bail jumper" he told her

Stephanie saw the judge motion to the door and the woman officer came back in. She just knew he was fixing to send her to jail to be in with the ones she had brought in. Stephanie's heart was beating wildly in her chest. The officer came over and took her cuffed hands. A tear slid out of Steph's eye. The cuffs released and her hands fell to her lap free. Stephanie looked up at the female cop and then over to the judge.

"You're free to go Miss Plum. Your bond has been paid and all the charges in the first place have been dropped." he told her

"What?" she asked dumbfounded

"You're Free to Go" he said "and please be careful next time"

Stephanie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wasn't being taken to Jail? She was free? She sat there and looked to see if it was a cruel joke on her. Would she walk out the door and all the Trenton police grab her and haul her back?

"Miss Plum please leave my chambers and go home, go to work, go somewhere I'm a very busy man" he told her

She got up and walked past the woman cop. She never tried to grab her as she opened the door. She walked down the hallway and passed several cops who stopped and said hello. They never made a move to stop her either. Feeling better about being let go she reached the door that led into the courthouse hallway. She opened it and walked out of it. When she looked up she saw Joe and Ranger waiting for her.

"Steph" Joe said with a breath coming out

"Babe" Ranger only said

It was then she knew that they knew she was being set free. Getting angry at them she walked and just passed them both and took the stairs down to the lobby. Ranger and Joe smiled at each other. That was their Stephanie.

"It's her time of the month" Ranger told Joe

"Oh? Really?" he asked

"Yea she was caught buying Tampons, She was desperate for them in the worst way" he said and then walked off Leaving Morelli to think it over.


	16. Chapter 16

I Walked out of the court house and began to walk down the street. It wasn't a long way by car but it was on foot to get to the bail office. I had to clear my head and wrap it around the fact that both Joe and Ranger knew I was going to be set free but yet they couldn't tell me and let me go in on my own. Joe may not have been able to tell me but Ranger could have, he had a lot of opportunities.

I also was thinking of my life as a bounty hunter and didn't know if I should do it any longer. I quit once before and ended up working for a bunch of people that were horrible. I also ended up working for RangeMan. That was Rangers personal security company. I knew for a fact that if I quit Vinnie's again that I would not go back to RangeMan. I didn't ever want to see Ranger again.

I walked on down the street thinking in my own mind and wasn't watching were I was going. My foot caught on some broken cement on the side walk and I began to tumble. I closed my eyes and waited for me to hit the ground but I didn't. I opened one eye that was squeezed shut and saw two large hands on my arms holding me up. Ranger.

"Babe" he said

I sighed and righted myself up and straightened my shirt and pants. I stood and steadied myself and did something I'd been wanting to do for a long time. Walk away first. I took a big breath in and sidestepped Ranger and walked away from him. I kept telling myself DONT LOOK BACK STEPH KEEP WALKING. I got past the old candy store where we found bodies in the basement. I was about to get to the pizza shop when something or better yet someone grabbed me around the waist and hauled me off my feet.

"Don't walk away. Never walk away from me" Ranger said

"Let me go or ill scream" I told him

Before I had a chance to scream Tank drove up in Rangers personal car and got out. Ranger tossed me in the passenger's side and then ran around to the driver's side. Tank stood watch until Ranger got in and drove off. I looked in the side mirror and saw Tank walk a block back to an SUV.

"It's against the law to kidnap a person off the sidewalk" I told him

Ranger just grinned but never said a word to me.

"Great" I said knowing he was in his zone

After driving for ten minutes I was losing patience. I huffed and turned in my chair and looked at Ranger. He had his hands on the wheel watching the traffic moving along the road. He was wearing his usual work clothes of black on black.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"The ocean" he said

"Why to the ocean?" I asked him

"Just thought you needed to decompress from everything you went thru Babe" He told me

"You have no idea" I said turning my body back into the chair

"Just trust me Babe" he said

"Yea right" I said thinking how no one knew anything about Ranger "I should trust you"

I watched as Ranger pulled into the lot at the beach and we sat there for a few minutes just staring out at the view. Ranger turned to me and had a small grin on his lips. He placed a hand over mine that was sitting on my lap. I jerked my hand away. I wasn't feeling too pleasant towards him or Morelli at this point and time, so I didn't want either one of them to touch me right now.

"Are we getting out or are we just gonna stay here all day?" he asked me

"This was your idea not mine" I told him

I saw him unclip his seat belt and open his door. He walked around the back of the car and came to my side of the car. He pulled up on the handle and it opened for him. He crouched down and looked at me with that half smile of his.

"You must not hate me to bad or else the door would have been locked by the time I came to you" he said looking me in the face

"Damn" I said as I realized the missed opportunity

"Doesn't matter Babe, I can get in a car with or without a set of keys" he told me and I knew he was right

Ranger reached around me and unhooked my seatbelt and brought it around me. He slid his hand down my face and I closed my eyes. I opened them again when I felt his hand on my neck and shoulder. Ranger was just intently staring at me and it wasn't uncomfortable.

"Steph lets go and do some stuff before it gets late or we will just have to go back home" he told me as he took my hand and led me out to the board walk

I didn't have any idea of any plans so I just followed him like a little lost puppy. We stopped in front of a Korhs Bros ice cream stand and he ordered two large cones with sprinkles. My eyes were wide with surprise. Ranger never ate sweets.

"Don't look so shocked Babe" he told me handing me my cone

"You don't eat dessert" I tell him

"You're wrong I did eat that cookie in your apartment that time" he said smiling at me taking his tongue and licking the melting ice cream

AHH yes the cookie on the night I took my couch out because it had death cooties on it. Ranger had came in and asked me if my cookies were frozen and I told him not anymore they weren't. He asked me about my couch and I told him and I know it amused him. He backed me up against the wall and kissed me and told me that he knew why Abruzzi was so pissed off. After he was done telling me we were in my bed doing things I don't think I'll ever forget.

"Stephanie" I heard Ranger say to me

"What?" I asked

"Your ice cream is melting all over your hand" he told me

I looked down at my hand and sure enough there was ice-cream and sprinkles dripping from my fingers running down my arm. Ranger bought a bottle of ice water and some napkins. He took my cone from me and tossed it in the trash can. He came back to me and lifted my hand up to his mouth and sucked a few fingers clean of the melty mess.

"Tasty" he said as he poured the water on my hand and wiped it off with the napkin

I stood there with my mind spinning. I had just had and felt Rangers mouth and tongue swirling on my fingers. I wanted to grab him and drag him off to a dark corner somewhere and have my way with him.

"You're mad at him Steph" my inner voice told me

"Oh yea" I said back to her

Ranger cleaned my hand off and he had done a great job, it wasn't sticky or anything. I watched as he took my hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. He looked up at me and caught my eyes with his. I knew he was trying to have me not be angry with him any longer. After he was finished I took my hand back and walked away leaving him to catch up with me.


	17. Chapter 17

Ranger and I stayed on the board walk in Point Pleasant the rest of the day. He would pay for every game I tried and then for our snacks and drinks in the pavilion. I was having a great time with him but I had to keep telling myself I was pissed at him still. Ranger would look up from his food and smile at me. I would catch myself smiling back and then yell at myself to stop it. After we ate we went back to walking the board walk. I stopped and saw a stand that dips your hands in wax and makes a mold of them.

Ranger gave the man in the booth five dollars for me to get my hand dipped. He watched as the man prepared my hand and then slowly lowered it down in the hot wax. Before I took it out Ranger plunged his hand into it and took a hold of my hand in his. I looked at him wide eyed as he just smirked. Once we pulled our hands out he still had a hold of my hand the man did something and then told us we could let go that the wax now had to cool. When I looked at the hands it was perfect, Rangers large hand entwined in mine. The booth man placed a red rose between our hands and handed them to me.

"Nice" I said holding the hands up to let Ranger look at them

"Very nice" he said

I got chills looking at our waxed hands holding on to each others. Just something about it being Rangers hand made my tummy flip. He looked over at me and moved closer to me. Ranger leaned down and softly kissed me and then moved back.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked

"Not on your life" I told him

"Come on Stephanie it's all over and done with now. You can move on your a free woman" he told me

"You didn't have to do what you did to me" I told him walking down the sand to the water's edge

"You had to come in or else he wouldn't let you go" Ranger told me

"You could have just told me that, you didn't have to seduce me in your apartment and then handcuff me and make me do the walk of shame in front of all RangeMan" I shot at him

"Would you have believed me if I sat there and said all you have to do is go in and your free?" he asked me

"Hell no. I lie to those convicts all the time. I know what goes on" I told him feeling the cool water hit my bare feet

"Well then you understand why I had to do it the way I did" Ranger said

Uggg he was so frustrating but so damned sexy too. Id forgive him but I wanted to drag it out a little while longer though. Make him spend a small fortune on me here and then maybe I'll think about forgiveness. I sat down in the sand just to watch the water and contemplate life a little. Ranger sat down with me. I lay back on my arms to let the sun seep into my skin. Ranger came half way over to me and drew a finger up my thigh.

"Putting those cuffs on you really did turn me on" He said to me

Hearing what he had just said I lost my balance on my arms and fell completely back in the sand. Ranger seized the opportunity to come over and capture my mouth with his. His warm tongue touched mine and I lost my ever loving mind.


	18. Chapter 18

I remember Ranger and I were walking back to his car as the sun was setting down into the ocean. I turned and looked back at the beach and how the colors were just breathtaking. When I looked back at Ranger he was standing near me with his hands in his pants pockets.

"Just breathtaking" I said about the sun and sky

"Yes it is" he said as he looks at me

I knew he was looking at me and I didn't want to let him know that I knew he was. I got into the car and heard him start it up. The next thing I knew I opened my eyes and we were at RangeMan. I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes and yawned. I heard a soft laugh beside me. I turned my head over and looked at Ranger.

"You laughing at me?" I asked him

"Sort of Babe, you sat down and the next thing I know your out like a light" he told me

"Yea well it's been a hard few weeks" I told him remembering running, getting disguises and then this whole Ranger/ Joe thing of taking me in

"I've been thru a lot of different and hard situations too Babe" he said

"Well then you know you don't sleep well then" I told him opening my door and looked up to the security camera focused on us

Ranger got out of his car and walked over to me. I leaned back onto his car as I watched him come and stand in front of me. He placed his hands on my hips and studied my face. Turned and looked again at the camera. I was wondering who was watching the camera tonight.

"So who is it? Cal, Hal, Tank, Lester, Bobby?" I asked

"Manning the cameras?" he asked

"Yea" I told him

I watched as he looked at his watch

"Actually its Woody" He said "most the core RangeMen are off right now , They are in their apartments id say" Ranger said taking his keys and beeping the car locked telling me that he was done for the night and unless I was walking home I was going to be his guest for the night.

"Steph id like you to come and be my guest tonight" he said as he walked to the elevator

"You got an empty room on 4?"

"Seven" he said with out looking back at me

I knew I should just go out the gate and say no. I was still miffed over the whole take down thing and now here I was thinking of being with the one who captured me. Ranger got in the elevator and watched me. I sighed and took a step forward and got into the elevator with him. He punched his beeper thing to the elevator and it rose to the seventh floor. He walked out into his foyer and turned back to look at me with the sly smile of his mouth.

"You coming in?" he asked

I got out of the elevator car and stepped forward. I know that this move was my consent for what was going to happen behind that door.


	19. Chapter 19

I excused myself from sipping wine with ranger. I told him since being kidnapped, taken to the beach, and now here that I really needed to use his bathroom. With his slight smile he threw his head toward his bedroom indicating I could go.

As I passed his bed I noticed something on the side of it half hanging off. Doing my business I went back over and found my wig that I had worn as my disguise. Picking it up I thought about how when I wore it I wasn't the old Stephanie Plum, I was a new person. Thinking about it some more a smile slid across my face as I held the wig, found an extra set of cuffs from one of Rangers dressers, and looked at the bedroom door. I walked over and opened the door and leaned I hoped sexily on the door frame.

"Hey Mister Bad ass Bounty Hunter" I sang out swinging the cuffs around my finger causing Ranger to turn and look

"I've failed to appear and it's your Job to hunt me" I said the boldness coming from being in disguise once again

"Babe" he said to me quirking and eyebrow

"What? Not up to the challenge?"

I knew what I was doing and I just couldn't seem to stop myself. With this wig I wasn't Stephanie Plum, I was an alter ego not afraid to step up and face Ranger head on. I was in Disguise and a new person not running in fear or hiding, I thought why not have some fun with it, but fun with Ranger I should have remembered was on a whole different level and I just had questioned his skills, I had pulled the tigers tail.

"I'm up for the challenge the question is are you?" he asked as he entered my personal space

"Uhhh.. uhhhh… I think we need more wine." I said as I chickened out once again and moved passed Ranger. Why do I play with him? He is the master.

I heard a soft chuckle behind me as I quickly drained whatever was left in my glass, arrogant bastard I though, then refilled my glass. Carrying the bottle and my glass over to Rangers couch, I sat down and snuggled myself in. Ranger coming over with his glass sat down next to me and I could feel his intense stare.

"What?" I asked squirming

"Not you" he said and pulled the wig off my head

Ranger took my glass from me and sat it on his coffee table. He scooted closer to me and took his hand and fluffed the curls I had pinned back around my face. Smiling just a little at his job he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me. After a few minutes into our kiss he raised himself up over me causing me to lie back onto the couch and then I heard it, CLICK CLICK, CLICK. Tearing my mouth from his I looked over to see a cuff around my wrist and the other one dangling.

"You asshole" I said thinking back to the first time he'd done the exact same thing. I didn't find it amusing then and I don't find it amusing now

"Gotcha again Babe" he said

"RANGER" I sharply said "if this is supposed to help turn me on than its not working

"No Babe it turns ME on Remember? I told you on the beach" he said and the kiss and his words came rushing back

"I remember but don't you remember what I told you after you cuffed me the first time? I said it would be a long time till you're turned on again"

"I think I can change your mind" he told me

"You think so?" I asked

"I know so" he said smirking and boy did he

Ranger kissed me slow and deep for a long time, tasting every inch of my mouth with his talented tongue. He never did cuff my other wrist and soon I felt his hands traveling up my shirt and then it being tossed behind the couch. My bra, pants, and panties soon followed my shirts path.

Now with our clothes not holding us back, Ranger slipped easily into me, causing my eyes to roll back in my head as he pulled back out and pushed back in ever so slowly over and over again. Sensing I was near my breaking point, Ranger sped up his thrusting and attached his mouth to my breasts.

"OH GOD" I called out as my orgasm ripped thru me and then I heard a few minutes later Ranger go over as well

After everything was said and done I lay cuddled up in Rangers arms. He peppered soft kisses on my mouth as he pulled me snug again his hard chiseled chest. We lay there a long time content, neither one of us saying a word. With the ordeal over and everything right again, we both succumbed to sleep, both of us sleeping soundly probably for the first time since I went FTA.

When I woke up I felt something being placed over me. Cracking my eyes open I saw Ranger dressed in work clothes standing over me.

"I didn't mean to wake you Babe" he said letting the blanket he had go

"S'ok" I said and yawning "what time is it?"

"5 am" he said and I moaned

"It's ok; you don't have to get up Babe. Stay here and sleep, I'll come back up and bring lunch later" he told me crouching down beside me

"Can't really go anywhere anyways you have my car " I mumbled remembering when I had come out of the mall with Sally it was gone

When I looked at him after no getting a response, I saw he was just looking at me with a smug grin on his face. Closing my eyes and burying myself down in the blanket I heard that stupid chuckle of his.

"Jackass" I said

"You love my ass Babe" he said kissing my forehead and then getting up to leave "I'll be back with lunch"

"K" I said as I heard the door shut


	20. Chapter 20

The next time I woke up the light in the room was different and there were new smells around. Sitting slowly up I peered over the back of the couch to see Ranger sitting a plate of sandwiches down in the center of his table, he turned and noticed I was up and his eyes darkened.

"Babe" he said leaning on the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room

I looked down and saw what had Rangers attention. Rolling my eyes, I stood up and pulled the blanket around me and walked toward him. Seeing me approaching he stood a little straighter and locked his eyes onto me.

"May I take a shower before we eat?" I asked as Ranger reached for me and drew me into him

"Anything you want Babe, you know that" he said lightly kissing me

"Ranger" I asked as he went to my neck

"Yea"

"Would you please uncuff me?" I asked as I held up my arm letting him see the cuff hanging from my wrist

"Hmmm I don't know Steph I like seeing my cuff on you" he said with that damn smirk

I really needed to get out of there and quick. Ranger was in a playful mood and that was dangerous. I've tried to play with him and well last night was the result of that. I watched with hope as he slid his hand into his pocket and brought out the cuff key. Taking my wrist in his hand he unlocked the cuff and kissed it.

"That better?" he asked as I rubbed my wrist not out of pain or injury but just out of freedom and bad memories of being caught. I never want to be cuffed again.

"Yes" I told him as I turned around to head to his bathroom

"Babe, I just want you to remember one thing. I'm the best and my men are the best and I'll find you, every time" he said and I knew he wasn't bull shitting me. Ranger was the best and Ranger always got his man or woman.

Giving him a look of understandment I walked over to his bedroom door. Before I could enter he stopped me by calling out my name. When I turned around I saw he was holding out a familiar looking pink cloth bag. Looking at him funny I walked back over to him.

"That looks like a bag I own" I told him looking the bag over

"It is yours Steph" he said holding it out to me

"What?" I questioned

"I had to go out this morning and before I came back I stopped over at your place and picked up a few things I thought you might want. Here" he said thrusting it out to me

Taking the bag I looked inside and quirked an eyebrow at him. On top of everything was a neatly folded pair of panties and a bra. Ranger had gone thru my underwear drawer and that knowledge gave me a rush.

"Those were my favorites" he whispered into my ear and I thought the blanket I had around me was going to catch fire

Ranger turned me around and pushed me into his room. I was in such a state I wasn't able to move on my own. Once Ranger pushed me into the bathroom he turned the water on and told me to hurry he'd have to go back to work soon. Nodding my head I watched as he shut the door behind him.

After my shower and the sandwiches that Ranger brought up, I felt normal again. I was in my own clothes, my socks and shoes, and my own wayward curly hair. Ranger studied me as I ate the last bite of my Sandwich, when I was finished he slid a set of car keys over to me.

Your cars in the garage" he told me as I smiled "if that's what you really want to call it"

"Yes I do and it's all mine" I said pocketing my keys

Ranger rode with me down to the Garage, whereas he said when the doors opened sat my car. As I got in and turned it on he appeared at my window.

"Don't forget this" he said handing me our wax hands that we had done at the beach

Taking the hands from him I sat them on my passenger's side seat.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" he asked me

"To reappear after I've disappeared" I told him

"Have at it" he said as he stood back up and opened the gate for me

My first stop was the bonds office. I walked din and Connie's eyes bugged out of her head. She apologized profusely for Ranger finding out it was me calling in all those times. I told her over and over that it was ok that Ranger was going to find out anyways, he's just that good. Connie whole-heartedly agreed to that and asked me if everything was ok now. I told her I was free and that all the charges had been dropped. She wanted to know how I was found but I told her that was a story for another day. I really was trying to forget that ever happened. Sighing she let it go and handed me some latest skips that needed to be brought in.

"Great to have you back" she told me as I walked out of the office

"Thanks" I called out as I left

My next stop was my parents, believe it or not I missed the craziness of it all and too Rex was there, I was dying to see him. I ate cookies and poked at Rex's cage as I told Mom that my out of town job was over. She didn't seem upset, she just told me about the woman who kind of resembled me looking at her thru the kitchen window, so I was glad the Burg hadn't gotten to her yet.

"Thank goodness Joe Morelli was here" she said taking my empty cookie plate away

"Oh yea thank goodness" I said sarcastically as the house phone rang

I heard my Mother say hello and then watched as she listened for a minute and then turn to me with wide eyes. Ut oh my cue to go. I grabbed Rex and went out the door

"Stephanie" my Mother called out

"Gotta go mom. I call you later" I yelled as I ran to my car and sped off

I finally made it to my apartment building. When I got on the elevator I thought of Ranger riding it with me when I was in disguise. I still can't believe he didn't pick up that it was me. Finally opening my door I hurried over and sat Rex back in his rightful spot and put the wax hands on the table. It felt good to be home again. I don't have much but what I do have its mine and I loved it. I think since being on the other side of things and fearing for my life, I've come to appreciate everything a little more. Grabbing a beer I went over to my home phone and called Mooner. I told him I was sorry for not bringing his car back to him but he really didn't seem to mind too much.

"That's ok Dudette" he said

I went on to explain that the "scary Bounty Hunter "and his men caught me, but that now everything was fine and I was a free woman. I told him that his car was at the store a few streets over and when he was ready to pick it up I would drive him over there. As I was hanging up from the time warp I thanked him again and told him to tell Dougie I appreciated their "hospitality" and would be there for them when they needed me, which I'm sure would be very soon.

After a few weeks I was getting back to the way things used to be before my brush with the law. The only things that were different was when I woke up I had to reaffirm myself I was in my own home in my own bed. Another thing that started to happen that I didn't like was that I began hesitating with fugitives. I'd go after a skip and when I'd click the cuffs on id hesitate and recall how I felt to be running and caught. I now had a connection with the fugitives and that was bad. Ranger saw me doing this one time when he and Hal helped me out on a hard bust.

"Please don't take me to jail, I'm really innocent" the fugitive cried to me

"Babe" Ranger said holding him waiting for me to cuff him

It wasn't until Hal cuffed him and took him out that I came to, to see Ranger studying me. Upset but not wanting to show it, I walked off to collect myself.

"Babe" Ranger said coming to stand in front of me

"Sorry" I told him

Ranger didn't scold me or anything he just put his arms around me and hugged me. He told me it would get better and to use it as a strength not a weakness. Looking up at him I wondered what he meant.

"Babe you've been on the other side now. You know how fugitives think. Use that and track these guys" he said

I thought about what he said and thought that I really did know them better now. I ran, hid, disguised myself, went to people that they didn't ever think of, I was on the indie now, not by choice but I have a leg up now. Guess that's the secret to Ranger, he knows because he's lived it and honed his skills over the years. Smiling at me he kissed me lightly and led me out of the old decrepit apartment to go take my skip in.

As for Morelli ever since that day in court, when I left him and Ranger standing there he hasn't been around. I really wasn't mad at him I guess he didn't have the way to tell me that if I'd just go in id be free like Ranger did, and in true Joe fashion he was once again in and out of my life.

When Hoe did come back around I was at my apartment when a knock came to my door. When I opened it there stood Morelli holding a pizza from Pino's.

"Cupcake" he said and flashed that bone melting smile

"Gee Joe haven't seen you in weeks" I said as he pushed passed me and went into my kitchen

"Well you know how it is, you had a thing then I had a thing" he said as I grabbed a piece of pizza

"Yea"

Joe and I ate standing in my kitchen. He talked about "working" with Ranger to bring me in. As we were talking he looked around and noticed my wax hands I had on the table. Locking eyes with me he asked what those hands were. I told him that the one hand was mine and that I got it last night at the beach. He took in what I told him and then looked at me again.

"Who's the other hand? I know it's not yours" he asked but I never answered

"I know whose hand it is. See you around Steph" he said with a shake of his head and walked out of my apartment

I glance over at the wax hands, the rose slightly drooping. I picked them up and remembered Ranger kidnapping me, taking me to the beach, paying for my games and snacks, and then shoving his hand down into the wax to hold mine. When I came back to my thoughts I found myself smiling, and what happened after the beach well I don't think I'll ever stop smiling about that. As for me and Joe I guess we are off again and as for me and Ranger well I guess we'll just have to see.

THE END

**Thank you all very very much for all your great reviews! I'm gonna start posting a Sequel to Lester and Steph's Snow bound. Look for it either today or Saturday!**

Karren :)


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